Even The Dead Can Love
by FireKidd
Summary: Uniqueness might prove to be your foe, as it has been Noriko's for years. Dracula finds her one night and it sparks off a storm of events, and now, apparently, he has a second shot at true love with her.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Enjoy

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It was a terrible stormy day for Transylvania. Lightning flashed as the skies let lose their fury on the mortal world. Funny how the weather seemed to reflect her current mood. Noriko, had just attained the title of an 'orphan'. No big deal about it since she was nineteen and could take care of herself. That wasn't the point. The point was: She was alone again, just when she had started to trust and love Nanna, the kind old lady who had taken her in as a child. Yet, Heaven had cruelly taken her away. The church refused to take her in, the townspeople wanted to put her to death. Why? Because she looked different.

Thunder struck a nearby sapling, reducing it to a charred, blackened stump. She had to find shelter soon. A dark shadow loomed before her, seeing it, she ran even faster. She was reaching her destination soon. Her destination: That-weird-creepy-castle-which-everyone-feared. People said it was haunted and stuff, but Nanna wouldn't let her know more. She didn't want her 'innocent mind be tainted' or so to speak. But Noriko wasn't as 'innocent' as Nanna thought. Noriko had heard all sorts of stories regarding the castle, but most importantly, she knew the bad and evil side of human nature. Yes, she knew it so well, like the back of her hand, for she was a constant victim of it. People ostracised her and Nanna for bringing her up.

_The villagers were throwing stones at her. Their children laughed and taunted her, all because she left the house. Nanna ran in, shielding the little girl's frail body as she stood there resolutely, the stones hitting her with much accuracy and force. Why the villagers hated her, she didn't know. It was her appearance perhaps. Everyone else was either a blond, a brunette or a fiery haired person with brown or blue eyes. Even Nanna used to be a brunette with warm mahogany eyes, before her age kicked in. The name 'Noriko' was also Nanna's doing. "You are so so special. Unique." Nanna used to reassure her. Unique? It was more likely that she was a freak of nature. She lived with Nanna at the edge of the forest, secluded from other people, it wasn't that Noriko wanted to run away, that was the last thing that would come to her mind. If it weren't for Nanna, she would have defiantly walked every single street in the village, her little chin held high…_

Looking up, she saw that she had already reached the castle. She pushed one of the heavy doors hard and it creaked both ominously and loudly. Stepping inside she gasped. She was in a huge room. She never knew that a single room could be so huge. She pulled back her hood to get a clearer look around.

Count Vladislaus Dracula had been quietly watching since the hooded human stepped into his entrance hall. It had seemed that dinner had willingly served itself. But when the hood that had been pulled down as low as possibly to keep out the rain was pulled back, he let out a noiseless gasp. This human was entirely different from any he had seen before. Wet messy silver hair stuck to her neck and her skin was tanned. Dark purple eyes surveyed the surroundings with undisguised awe, surprise and pleasure. He had toured various parts of Europe, but he had never met a human who looked like this. A soft hiss and a nuzzling at his neck announced the arrival of his last bride, Aleera. Marishka and Verona had died during the encounter of Van Helsing. At this, he let a frown crease his brow. Placing a restraining hand on Aleera's arm, he silently let her know that he wanted her to stay silent. This human was very interesting. He didn't want to feed off her… Yet.

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What was wrong with her sire? He was watching this filthy weird looking human with interest. Aleera always tended to be jealous. The fact that her sire was looking at this human (at this she spat) with interest and not her made her feel angry.

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Noriko blinked her eyes rapidly, dispersing the raindrops that clouded her vision. She was dripping water on the floor and was shivering with cold. The black cloak which had provided much shelter from the onslaught of rain was now hindering her movements. She laid it open on the floor, so that it would dry faster. She scanned the entrance hall again, searching for some firewood. Spotting some pieces of old furniture that had been chopped up, she dragged some over to a corner of the hall. Taking out an old tinder-box, she managed to build up a small fire.

Her wild looking clothes gave her a rather mysterious yet ethereal feel. Dracula watched her closely, as Aleera went to feed. This was getting interesting. Didn't she know that this was the castle of the Prince of Darkness? The Lord of the Shadows?

The comforting warmth of the fire was making her drowsy. But she could not shake the most recent memories from her mind. _It was a very dark and gloomy morning when she had went into the village again, to ask the priest to give Nanna a proper funeral. Nanna's health had deteriorated within the past week and in a blink of an eye, sweet, warm, kind Nanna was gone. The townspeople blamed her for Nanna's death, claiming she sucked the health right out of Nanna. They chased her back into the forest, where she disappeared and they, thinking that she had hidden back inside the hut, since her shoes were left there, had razed the hut to the ground. Noriko had left for the glade immediately. The one that was only known to Nanna and her. Sitting up in a tree, she retrieved a bag. She knew beforehand that something might happen to her… Thank God she had prepared the 'survival' bag before hand…_ Overcome with exhaustion, her eyelids fluttered shut, curled up before the fire.

He watched as sleep claimed her, the wet locks of hair tumbling around her wildly, the animal furs that she wore as clothes drying by the heat of the flames. Retreating back into the shadows, he entered the dungeons. A smiling Aleera was waiting there, ruby red droplets of blood on her lips. "Master…" she cooed, coming to his side and hanging on his arm. He ignored her as he focused his eyes on the meal ahead of him. A man, eyes filled with fear. The smell of it hanging thickly in the air. Closing the distance between them with a few strides, he sunk his fangs deeply, enjoying the warm blood that replenished him.

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Noriko awoke with a jolt. The fire had died during the night and its' warmth had dried all her clothes. She had to defy the world. They wanted her dead, but she wouldn't. Not for the pleasure for those bastards. She immediately left the castle and went hunting for berries and to check the traps laid. A small amount of berries were left since it was nearing the beginning of winter and she had managed to get a rabbit as well. Pleased with her catch, she went down to the river to take a bath, it seemed like her heart had grown numb. Whenever she thought of Nanna, there was only a small tingling. Was it true what the townspeople said then? Was she really a heartless beast-freak?

Collecting firewood and preparing provisions had taken up a whole afternoon. Noriko left the entrance hall and followed a musky scent. It smelled of books, a smell that was always present in Nanna's home. There it was again. A small tingling that would have passed unnoticed if she wasn't searching so hard for a reaction. Following the corridor, she turned right and entered a place full of books. Eversince she was young, she had taken to reading very well. It was the only time when she wasn't reminded of the silver hair that was flowing on her shoulders and the dark violet eyes that were hers. She walked past shelves, fingers flying lovingly from one spine to another. This was her world. You could lock her up and leave her to die happily here.

She had entered his library, her tangled silver hair now flowing softly, looking like moonbeams. She was exotic, unique and marked out differently from the rest. Her face was heart shaped and a little plump though she was lean and lilthe. A mixture of different furs covered her body. It was time he made his appearance. No good host would continue spying on his guest, he smirked. She was very engrossed in the book she was reading. Even when he was standing in front of him, she still didn't notice.

"Good evening." A silky voice sounded in her ear. She gave a start and dropped the book. Shit! She didn't know that people lived in this castle. At least she thought so. Noriko stood there, staring at him. He was a man who looked like he was in his thirties. Raven black hair, tied in a short ponytail at the back, pale skin and with chiselled, delicate features. His eyes were a deep obsidian colour. In short, he looked handsome.

Her violet eyes were scrutinising him carefully, then took on a wary appearance. "Who are you?" she finally spoke, her voice carrying an ethereal feeling. With her unique appearance and wild clothes, she could be mistaken as a dryad reigning in the forest. She could speak, thank goodness. He thought, a smirk widening on his face. When a cold voice said "Good evening my sire. Who is this pathetic human?" Aleera sidestepped to reveal herself, a smile on her face, her eyes shooting daggers into a frightened Noriko.

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hope you liked it. Read and review please?

yours faithfully,

Sam


	2. Chapter 2

I dont own anything.

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A stunning beauty had appeared next to the handsome man. They looked the perfect pair. She had fiery red hair the colour of maple leaves in the autumn, of passion burning bright. High cheekbones, emerald eyes, a slim face and a svelte figure that was even further brought out by the revealing, low cut pink gown she wore. Noriko was feeling very inferior and lowly in front of this two stunning people. But 'pathetic human'? Weren't they 'pathetic humans' as well? Her dark amethyst eyes seemed to shoot sparks out, daring them to insult her again.

Curses! He had forgotten that Aleera was present. He gave the fuming dryad a smile before turning to face Aleera. His hand itched to backhand her, how dare she call his dryad a 'pathetic human'? Aleera's eyes were a bright cats' green, a sure proof of her jealousy. He bared his fangs at her, fiercely, telling her that he wanted her to leave. **Now.**

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What? Her sire was baring his fangs at her! All because of a pathetic human! She seriously contemplated shrieking and wailing into his arms or even dive at that weirdo! The latter was proving to be a very interesting thought, but she wouldn't be able to take more than a few drops of blood before Master would pull her away. Furthermore, he would punish her severely after that. There was no choice then, but to retreat. For the moment.

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"I apologise for the interruption." His voice smooth and silky. "I am the… Owner of this castle. My name's Count Vladislaus Dracula." He paused. The girl seemed to expect more from him. "What? That's all? Aren't you going to laugh at me, stone me or throw me out of your castle?" She demanded.

"And why would I do that my dear?" "Don't 'my dear' me. Maybe because I'm different? Because I have silver hair, purple eyes and am 'unwanted by heaven and rejected by hell'?" What was wrong with this guy? He was the only one so far who hadn't made any negative comments, or tried to kill her. Oh boy, like it was her fault that she looked weird. Hello! She was born like this. Get it? Born like this. Not like she ordered a special delivery for silver hair and freaky eyes right? She glared at the man who called himself Dracula.

"Do you want me to?" He asked, softly, quite taken aback with that outburst. Never in his long decades of living on this earth had he ever met a human who wasn't afraid of him. He had never even thought of stoning her or laughing at her. Biting her? Well yes. But it was only for a fleeting moment.

"No." She shook her head. Of course she didn't want that to happen. "I'm sorry for intruding into your castle, Count. But I needed shelter for the night. I'll leave now, sorry." Noriko turned to leave. "Do you have anywhere else to go?" "No." A soft reply. "Then stay here. There is enough room for all of us." A command. "My name's Noriko." And she left for the entrance hall again.

He stood there for a moment, trying to clear the image of her eyes away from his mind. They seemed to possess a life and spirit of their own, allowing fleeting glimpses into the soul of this woman. He wanted to be inside them, knowing what she was thinking. She was truly intriguing. He could hear faint shrieks and wailing coming from another part of the castle, sighing, he transported himself into a room, where his bride was throwing her temper.

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Ah, the shrieking had worked. It had brought her sire to her, just not in the best of moods. But that was that human's fault. How could her sire be angry with her? With beautiful, graceful Aleera? Standing next to that human, she surely rivalled her in both beauty and perfection.

"Master! Get that human away… Her very presence dirties the castle's floor… Let me feed off her…" Aleera was wailing. She and the other brides had always been attention seeking, clingy and whiny. Feed off Noriko? Feed off this mysterious dryad he had no clue about? "You are forbidden to touch a single hair of that human!" He roared angrily. If anyone were to feed off her, it would be him. Why?** Because.**

She seethed, angrily. She would get rid of this freak. It would be the only thing she would do! But for the moment, she grumpily nodded. "I won't." She spat out. A sudden vice-like grip was holding her chin. Emeralds met obsidian stones. "I will punish you if she goes missing." He hissed.

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Noriko stepped back into the hall. Who were those two? Why was that female so jealous? Of who? Me? Yeah right. She scoffed. Like anyone would be jealous of me. She lit a fire, roasting the rabbit over it. Its skin was already clean and was hanging off a stone that jutted out from the wall. She laid open a few furs on the floor. Since she had permission to live here, might as well make use of it to the best of her ability, though she was sure it included not wandering around the castle. As she stared at the flickering flames, her thoughts reverted back to that Count Dracula. His looks fitted a description properly. A description she had heard before.

"_Pale face with black stones for eyes. Raven dark hair and dressed in black." The village schoolteacher was telling the children in the schoolhouse. On the blackboard, there was a list of the 'Greatest Dangers' and as the first greatest danger, were the words Count Vladislaus Dracula "He haunts the night, a creature of the dark who sold his soul to the Devil. Be wary of him, he will rob you of your life the moment he sees you. He sucks your blood. Kids, don't ever go to the castle on Wolfbane's Hill. For that is where he resides…_"

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HiddenOperaAngel: haha, thanks for reviewing. erm... no, i don't watch Buffy. i'mactually not sure on how Dracula is supposed to be,so... you could tell me a little right?

Sam is on thephone: Izz? Someone threatened me. O.O you mean its normal? I'm scared. Really? Ok.

Really sorryif the story's lousy.

Yoursfaithfully,

Sam


	3. Chapter 3

me no own anything, so don't sue me. except for my plot, brain and character.

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Oh shit. That was her last thought before she succumbed to sleep. 

The next day, Noriko had completely forgotten everything about blood sucking, devils or anything else. She was really absent minded and tended to forget details and things that she subconsciously thought were unimportant. Afterall, knowing that she was living with a vampire wasn't going to do much good to her right? She dashed off into the woods, checking the traps.

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It was nighttime and his dryad hadn't come. He paced around frustratedly. Where had she gone? Had she left the castle already? A sudden smell of both human and animal blood flooded his nostrils. Leaning over the balcony that overlooked the entrance hall, he saw his dryad come in. Noriko had a heck lot of blood splattered on her clothes, tear tracks on her face, red lips and was cuddling something very protectively.

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She had been in the woods checking the traps. There wasn't much, and she was about to head back to the castle when she heard a howl. It wasn't a healthy or territorial howl. It was more like a wounded and sad kind of sound. She ran towards it, to find a pair of wolves. A cub and its mother. The adult was caught in a trap. 

That trap wasn't hers. It didn't just catch the leg of the animal, it had an extra device that plunged a steel spike into the neck as well. In short, the female wolf was unlikely to survive and that the trap was really cruel, forcing the victim to die of blood loss. Her hands balled into fists and she punched the nearby tree with great force, causing splinters to enter her hand and blood to start ebbing out. Damn! How could people be so cruel like this? All her traps were a guaranteed one hit k.o, causing almost no pain at all to the victim.

Oh wait. IF they could cruelly treat a human like her like this, what about an animal, animals aren't as 'worthy' as humans. She snorted fiercely. She was a human, and well, look how those humans treated her. A wry grin crossed her face at the thought. You kinda got used to it. At least you know why they hate you. Boy would it all be so freaking confusing if you had to be nice and yet worry about why people hated you. Ah, animals, they're way trustworthier besides they care for you…

Noriko crept closer to the wounded wolf, the cub nudging it's mother with its little black nose, trying to awaken the almost sleeping form. The poor female was still in pain, she was too weak to open her eyes or to react with the nudges her cub was giving her. The little cub bared its tiny fangs at her, and ran and hid behind its mother. The older wolf's fur was matted with her own blood. One hand firmly on the spike that was already embedded in the neck, Noriko drove it in deeper, preventing the female from more suffering, from the pain that plagued her. A tear fell on the forest floor as she pulled back the bloodied spike.

She placed both hands at the opening of the trap, the teeth cutting deeply into her fingers. Using some stones and branches, she managed to form a lever and push the trap open, dragging the body free from the trap. Tears flowed even harder. She wasn't crying because of the pain, the tears were a memory, a present to the dead, mangled body that lay in her arms. The cub followed, whining and barking at her.

The body slipped a few times, it was heavy and the sticky red blood made it harder to hold. She carried it, half tumbling over the outstretched roots of the trees. She was at the foot of an ancient oak tree. One which she used to climb. The soil was soft and easy to remove as she slowly dug the wolf's grave. It wouldn't be proper to skin her and eat her, 'Not after I had seen you suffer…' A soft whisper, carried by the wind. As she laid the body in the hole, the cub tried to jump in as well.

'Shhhh…' She made soft soothing noises to the little one that was squirming in her hold, ever desperately seeking the mangled body that was once its mother. Noriko now had the smell of both herself and the female wolf, maybe that was why the cub refused to leave her. By this time, the sky had gotten very dark and the crescent moon was her only ray of light, she trudged back to the castle. The moment she entered, something warm and dark suddenly enveloped her. She was still dazed and the cub was whimpering slightly. Her instincts kicked in and she broke free from the grasp and ran backwards, so she could survey her surroundings properly.

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His rage overcame him, yet he was so so concerned. Where had she been? Was she alright? Obviously not since the animal blood was mingled with a human's. She looked so vulnerable, he was feeling something he had never felt before. What ever it was, it was driving him to hold her tightly. She suddenly stiffened and pulled away from him, her eyes reminding him of an animal in the forest, wary, apprehensive and confused.

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Noriko shook her head slightly, regaining her bearings. She stared at the man who had just held her with a very confused gaze. What was he trying to do? _I knew I shouldn't have trusted him_, an inner voice screamed at her. 'Do you have a bathroom that I could borrow?' That was her first thought and the only one that she voiced. He wordlessly stared at her, his onyx ones staring deep into her soul, or so she felt. She glared back with a challenging one that said show-me-or-forget-it-I-can-do-well-on-my-own-thank-you-very-much. She wasn't one of those people who could read what was in other people's eyes, all their emotions and stuff, but she did know that she had seen something flicker in the Count's eyes that made her kind of curious. He motioned for her to follow as he led the way to the bathroom. 

She was proving to be very interesting, an enigma, to be exact. One minute wary, another minute challenging, another minute curious. Oh, he would figure her out soon enough. Nothing eluded Vladislaus Dracula. He was the one who held the secrets and he didn't like others to. He stopped outside a dark oak door with elegant carvings on it.

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Turning the burnished copper handle, she paused as she looked at the retreating form. "Thank you Count." She called, feeling really weird, well, she had never thanked anyone other than her Nanna before. Shrugging, she stepped inside the marble tiled bathroom. Never had she seen such grandeur in one room before! One finger ran fleetingly across the gold taps, to the pure whiteness of the bathtub. A movement in her arms brought her back to reality and she placed the small groggy cub into the bathtub. 

Turning the taps a few times and she had gotten the ideal temperature, washing off the dried blood on the cub's fur, she found it to be a misty blue-grey though it was more inclined to the bluish side. After placing him on the floor, she proceeded to wash all the blood off her. When she was done drying herself, she suddenly realised that she had forgotten to bring her extra furs in. As if on cue, a knock sounded on the door and the Count's baritone smooth voice told her that it was just outside. Scowling, Noriko stuck her arm blindly out of the door and her furs were shoved into her hand.

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The thought of letting her come running out in nothing but her wet furs was a rather amusing thought, or even leaving her to wear one of those sexy little dresses that were meant for his brides would prove to be interesting. Sadly, from their previous encounters, he knew she would stay in the bathroom till her clothes were dry. That was more likely to happen and he didn't want the dryad to stay enclosed inside that bathroom. He wanted her out where he could see her.

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The furs she had on now were white, not like yesterday's multi-coloured one. He was pleased to see the effect. The whiteness of the furs contrasted with her skin and matched with her silver hair. Like a daughter of the moon. An appropriate description. A smirk appeared. He had taken a lick of her blood earlier on when a drop had landed on his finger and it proved to be as sweet and rich as he had thought, no, actually, it was even better. 

Rubbing her towel vigorously in her hair, she sat near the fire she had built again. God knows how freezing the place was at night. The young cub had fallen asleep in her lap and now, all she had to do was to get him a name. The Count had settled next to her, strands of his hair had escaped the elegant ponytail, the flames casting little shadows that were dancing on his face and Noriko reluctantly admitted to herself that yes, he was handsome. Very handsome, ok, fine, smouldering.

"What happened?" He asked, pointing to the now clean but wet furs.

"This little baby's mum was caught in one of the stupidest and idiotic traps of mankind." It was spat out with much bitterness, but the part when she had said 'little baby' was full of care and concern. A sudden jab of pain struck his undead heart. Suddenly, he realised what had set her apart from his other brides. It wasn't only skin deep.

His brides were calculating, all their actions were planned and they all fell to his good looks and charm immediately. But Noriko did things on her whim, she hadn't thrown herself at him immediately after seeing how handsome he looked nor did she plan for anything. Everything, every action, emotion and feeling was real. He suddenly realised that he couldn't bear to kill her; he couldn't bear to let anything happen to her.

That had proved itself when he was pacing the ceiling due to the fact that she just wasn't there. And when she had come back to him, blood-splattered and all, he had felt a deep rage, yet a deep sense of relief. Anger at the protective way she was cuddling that cub, anger at the fact that she was back so late and anger that he had let her roam the dangerous woods herself, without any protection whatsoever. He wouldn't, couldn't let her go out there anymore, having come to this decision, he looked back at the female who was looking at him with something like inquisitiveness in her eyes. "Come and stay in the castle."

"But I already am." Confusion showed in those lovely eyes, her fingers drumming her sweet lips that seemed to be calling out to him. "I will prepare a room for you and your meals will be provided. Access to the library is also granted." He added on a second thought.

Access to the library? No problem, so long as she could spend her time reading, she didn't mind, but what was his motive? "I have no ulterior or interior motive." He assured her, all she needed was some persuasion. At the mention of the library, those eyes had led him to see her love for reading.

"Thank you for the offer, but I would be imposing onto you." She said, knowing that she was giving up the library in exchanged for her manners. "You wouldn't. And that's settled. Come, I shall bring you to your room." His tone was commanding, leaving her no room for arguments. In a way, Noriko was glad. Truly glad for the first time in a long while..

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mi03cah: thanks for being so concerned, but no, i havent recived any flames yet. been wondering whether there was anything i needed to improve on... ) 

Haunting Whispers: yup. aleera's really gonna mess it up. ) just not in this chapter yet.

Velfin: ah... you realised that im planning to kill aleera off afterwards, drats. just deciding how andwhether to torture her first... (hunter's knofe appears behind FireKidd's back.)

hope you guys enjoyed this. Oh, i need a name for the lil wolf cub. Something to relate to his fur? i need ideas k? Thanks to all who read this lil story... sob... Thanks! And i was planning to change the story name to 'my enigma' should i?

enjoy it?

Py


	4. Chapter 4

and this has been reposted. and i own nada.

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She was led to a room furnished with many materials, silk, satin and some sort of smooth fabric being part of the cohort. Different shades of red and dark purple encompassed the whole place. A four-poster bed, a vanity dresser, two different chairs, one a lovers¡¯ seat and the other a simple sofa were also present. And a rather large birch cupboard finished the look. Dracula watched as she stepped into the room, undisguised wonder and awe in her eyes. He had prepared the room, paying special attention to the colours. Red was a colour of passion and he hoped that she would take a hint or actually, he hoped that the colour would cause her to light with passion herself. He smiled. She had settled on the bed, and was staring at him.

The Count had on a rather alluring smile, or was it seductive? So long as she could read, she didn't care. She was truly innocent, he had read her thoughts, and to his utmost delight and amusement, found that she had never liked or been chased before, even to the point where she had never known carnal pleasures. Well, he would teach her, he had all the time in the world and would charm her off her feet. He stood over her, and watched with jealousy as her little fingers gently stroked the soft fur. He wanted to wrench her fingers and make it caress his cheek gently, butin this position, he was treated to the faint scent of her hair. "What should I name him?" Noriko was asking thin air, not knowing that he was so close to her. "Shadow..." The answer breathed, tickling her ear, causing her to shudder involuntarily.

Instinctively, she lashed out, managing to punch him in the stomach. Uh oh. She quickly placed the cub on the bed and went to help the poor Count who was holding his stomach.

As Noriko helped him onto the bed, he could smell fresh blood and realised that she was wincing a little. He grasped her right hand, causing her to yelp in alarm. His beautiful dryad's hand was bleeding and he could see pieces of wood embedded in it as well. He would kill the person who did this! A sense of protectiveness overwhelmed him and he scowled fiercely.  
The Count had a scowl on his face as he tenderly stroked the bleeding knuckles. She tried to pull away. "My injuries are none of your business!" She snapped, struggling in his grasp. He had a fierce predatory look in his eyes and his fingers pressed to her forehead. And her whole world blacked out...

She had the savage yet fearful look of a cornered wolf, as she firmly struggled against him. Then shock appeared in her eyes and the violet orbs closed. He caught the limp body gently and positioned her so that she was leaning on his chest, between his legs. Slowly, with utmost care, he pulled out the splinters one by one. Pulling out a rather elusive splinter caused the still sleeping Noriko to flinch. He immediately cradled her, rocking her against him gently and comfortingly. Two fists grabbed him, the wounds bleeding again, but now free of splinters. Cocking a very amused eyebrow, he looked down at the unpredictable dryad. He unclenched the wounded hand and slowly licked at the wound, the intoxicating fire and honey taste wowed him, he could never get enough of him. His fangs were starting to elongate, but he controlled himself. He wanted her to give in to him; this wasn't the time to sire her. She would hate him for it - his instinct told him. Pressing his fingers to the wound, he healed it.

He carried her bridal style and slid under the sheets with her, since her hands had resumed grabbing him and she had actually snuggled closer, seeking comfort. The little wolf cub he had christened Shadow also didn't want to miss anything and snuggled up to them. He could get used to this, the scowl and disappeared and an actual rusty smile came on. Rusty cause he rarely used it. It was sincere. One hand playing with a soft lock of moonbeam like hair, the other holding her tightly around the waist. Inching slightly back, he surveyed Noriko, knowing that when she came to, he might get hit. Her previous reaction stated that clearly. She obviously wasn't used to the human touch and yet she subconsciously desperately seeked his warmth and comfort, how interesting. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead with a tenderness that he had never thought possible.

Hugging her tightly, he listened to the swirling wind. It told him anything he needed to know, having been on the earth for years. It was telling him all about her. She was an independent creature, headstrong. She was unwilling to trust, yet wanted to.Her actions would never show her feelings, buther eyes would. A truly contradicting creature. She was tired of floating around, seeing everyone find love, find a place to rest their wearied heads upon. she wanted to as well, but wouldn't venture out of her cocoon. He would pull her out, slowly, one step at a time...

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It started as a faint shrill sound, but it got louder and louder... Wait! He knew that sound! Aleera was shrieking... 


	5. Chapter 5

whooo... review me! i was reading thru all reviews and... felt bad that i didn't update. so here ya are! anyone died yet? no? fine. on with the story!

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The sun was going to rise and dawn was fast approaching, yet she hadn't seen her sire for the whole day! She went shrieking down the halls, wailing past corridors and crying into rooms. She was in heat and by right, he would be with her in her coffin, fill her womb with his seed and their dead children would be hanging in the hall…until he found another monster to bring them to life. But where was he?

Of course she could give birth all year round, but when a vampiress was in heat, the smell should have lured him back to her. She had on the most revealing dress she had, a blood red number which was translucent yet silky, providing a good view of her figure, yet hiding it. The perfect one which made any man's blood boil, regardless on whether he was dead or alive. She paused in her tracks, there was another scent mingled with her sire's, was it that human's?

She shrieked with jealousy, pushing the doors aside furiously. Why did her sire… Take note. HER sire, want this human more than her. She was the purest epitome of beauty even as a human. People worshipped her as a reincarnate of the goddess of beauty. This human, this weird looking freak neither had her flawless porcelain skin nor her height and elegance. If she stood next to her, that human wouldn't even reach up to her chin; and, she was only a little shorter than the sire himself! Figure wise, Aleera was definitely more curvier than her, with soft flesh, unlike the other female who had more muscles than soft silky flesh. She had done so much on her part to help Van Helsing get rid of Marishka and Verona, hoping she would be the center of attraction, the star of the show. That she became, until this FREAK came along and she was rebuked, scolded and bared fangs at!

The sight of her sire and the freak holding each other as they slept only encouraged the green imp of jealousy inside her to bloom and flourish. What a sight. Her handsome sire, long black strands of hair that had escaped his silver clasp, those enchanting eyes and masculine features… in the arms of a white haired ugly brown nut of a human! Her green eyes burned with fire as she pulled the other female out of the bed. In a flash, her sire had wrapped his hand around her slender milky white neck, his grip tightening painfully. Her own hands were grabbing the freak's neck, the mysterious dark purple eyes threatening to bulge out of their sockets, uselessly trying to break free. The fingernails digging deep, crimson blood flowing slowly in rivulets out of her neck and down her long fingers.

Dracula tightened his grip on Aleera's neck. "Let her go." He growled menacingly. Aleera gave a cold chuckle and released her grip. She had done what she wanted, harm the freak. Besides, her fingernail had torn into the jugular vein and in minutes, the human would bleed to death. And her sire would belong wholly to her. Again. She could smell a musky smell, a sure sign of her sire's arousal. She walked seductively up to him, but he was at the side of the human and a ball of fur was zooming around the still body. Oh no. This was SO wrong. He should be aroused because of her right? Not that human… She had assumed that he had noticed that she was in heat. She whimpered slightly.

"Get out. I will deal with you later." It seemed like his back was talking to her, very coldly. No, she didn't want to be punished… Couldn't he see that all she wanted was him? She whimpered some more as she fled to her rooms, the promised threat of her punishment looming over her head, her initial triumph fading.

Noriko was pressing both her hands to her neck. What was that thing flowing out of her neck? Was it blood? If so, why was she bleeding so badly? She couldn't comprehend anything. Why did that strange woman grab her like that? She was sleeping…in the forest… She slowly shook her head. She was hallucinating. Who was that handsome man there, in front of her? It looked as if his mouth was moving. Was he talking to her, what did he want…?

Dracula was helping her heal her wounds, all the time maintaining eye contact with those drowsy, dark purple eyes. He wanted her badly, she couldn't die… If he was forced to, he would blood her now, but it was a last minute solution if there was really no hope for her… He wanted those eyes to look at him, focus on him, but he wanted them laden with lust and love, for him… Slowly as if in a trance, a blood stained finger rested on his lip.

"Smile."

He heard her sigh before her eyes closed. He relaxed, holding her tightly. She had lost a fair amount of blood, but she would survive. He placed her on the bed and cast one last look before leaving the room…

Now, it was time for Aleera's **punishment**. Woe betide whoever dared cross his path when he was in such a rage…

* * *

Ideas on what you want in next chapter? God bless for all those having exams.

i know this is kinda short, but like i said, im kinda busy... slumps head on the computer.

ideas people, ideas!


	6. Chapter 6

here's your next chapter, i'll mope later. And i changed the title to suit the story. the ending actually.

Van Helsing doesn't belong to me.

* * *

The next few days was spent in a constantly swirling vortex of faces, voices and people she couldn't recognize. Fading in and out of the world of the living and the dead, she could only discern certain characters. For example, she would always feel protected by a certain lean and muscular body which held her tightly, the gentle smooth voice full of concern, the faerie queen with hair of insatiable fire, eyes of light green, a trembling person who was afraid of the gentle one (why was he trembling anyway?), the gentle one being angry with the faerie queen, why was he so angry, yet so caring towards her… She couldn't comprehend anything. In this delirious state of hers, she faded back and forth, back and forth..

* * *

Noriko finally awoke, fully aware of her surroundings the first time in three days. How nice it felt… To be held by someone as she slept. But now, the velvet bonds that were hands were keeping her in her place, restraining her, possessive and strong, but warm and soft. She struggled weakly, before managing to come face to face with the count. If she could, she would have leapt back in shock. He appeared to have just awoken as well, his eyes had the tell-tale signs of having just woken up, drowsy, not like the sharp piercing eyes she had seen before. His hair was tousled and many loose hairs floated across his face. At such a close proximity, she could clearly see his features, all of which marked him out as an even more virile man than she thought. 

Her thickly lashed eyes were staring at him, like she had just discovered something, something which unnerved her. Under his gaze, she turned again in his arms and leant her head against the pillow instead of on his chest. She looked everywhere, except at him.

She'd rather not look at him anymore, it would not bode well if she fell in love. The sheets were of the purest black, it was as if he had pulled the sky down and made it his bed. She didn't want to get involved with him, or anybody for that matter. Something was tugging at the side of her mind. Eversince she had known him, misfortune came often. Too often for her liking, he definitely had a secret, a secret she was unwilling to be dragged into…

"I am a vampire. A bloodsucker." It was as if he had read her mind. She paused, letting it sink in… Well, that explains everything. He shifted her position so that she had no choice but to lean on his chest. "Why didn't you suck my blood then? That's insulting!" Her mouth spoke before her brain. He chuckled, a rich, syrupy sound that vibrated in her ear, making her tremble. In response, he drew her closer, encircling that small waist of hers.

* * *

She was like a doll, a dainty, fragile doll. He had never sired women who were as small as her before, since he was much taller, he sired women like Aleera, tall, with a generous figure. Speaking of which, he never quite understood why he sired her in the first place. He sired her for fun probably, since he was bored. But he had never mated with her, doing so with only Marishka and Verona. They had a sense of maternal instinct, something which made him feel like mating with them. But he knew Aleera was no innocent. The way she had been throwing herself onto him eversince the others had died clearly showed the truth. (Besides, he had given her bruises that wouldn't be most likely to heal very soon, especially on that vain face of hers.) 

A growling sound was coming out from his throat, and she feared for her safety, cursing her own stupidity at the same time. "C…Count?" She asked tentatively. A sudden nuzzling at her neck told her that she had gotten his attention. She pushed him away slightly, the sensations wrecking all her thoughts, mind and logic. No, she had to get back on track. "Can I do something for you? I mean, you've done so much for me, I feel that I must do something to make up for all the trouble." She had to choose her words carefully, if not, she would end up dead very very soon.

* * *

"Very well, I want to know you more." Before her brain could sputter out a response, he continued, the vibrations running down her body, the warm breath on her skin causing chaos to her nerves. "I want you to allow me to know you more, to let me see past those walls you try to hide behind. Of course you have no reason to do so, but as you have so kindly put it, I have saved your life many times, offering lodging and even healing you. If I wanted to kill you or feed on you, I would have done so earlier; moreover, I know that you want to know me more, just the way I want to know you." She could only dumbly nod.

Gathering her wits about her, she finally asked the one question that was on her mind, "Can I get out of bed now?"

* * *

It was a most unexpected question, causing him to shake with laughter, pulling her closer and kissing the top of her head. The heady smell of her was almost driving his senses mad. He climbed out of bed, carrying her along with him. "Yes you may, on one condition." A smile played at his lips. "That I carry you." 

It was amazing the way his clothes didn't seem crumpled. In fact, he looked even more gentlemanly than ever. Knowing that she really couldn't walk and recalling her earlier promise, her brows furrowed together as she agreed. Suddenly, it was like she was falling, his arms had disappeared. She cried out in shock, before she was caught by his arms again. She glared at him as he gave her a smile that seemed most apologetic.

Dracula was grinning from ear to ear inside as she fastened her arms tightly across his chest, the fear of falling being the main pivotal power in her actions. He strode through the halls, heading straight to the library, every step, bounce and movement bringing their bodies closer together, her arms and face now buried in his chest, he could feel her shuddering at every large jolt, as if she was feeling pleasure…

* * *

This was not good. The Count's bare hands holding her bare legs, the fact that every single jolt of movement sent an electric shock through her body, a feeling that was not unpleasurable. He smelt good, a comforting scent which she could never get enough of, so she unconsciously nuzzled him, feeling the heat radiating from his body, all too soon, they had reached a room and she immediately recognized the aging smell of books as she struggled to run to them, but his hands held her fast. 

He sat down, with her still in his lap. They were like a puzzle piece, fitting one another perfectly. Noriko squirmed a little, finding a comfortable spot in his lap. She watched in amazement as he snapped his fingers and book after book from different shelves came down and hovered in the air before them. "Choose one." His voice seemed huskier than usual, she wondered why. She finally picked one that had the words 'Noseferatu: The Vampire' in large print and the others flew back to their respective shelves. She wanted to know more about him.

He stared at it in distaste, immediately picking the book out of her hands and tossing it to one side. "You have a real vampire before you, wouldn't it be easier?" He shifted her again so that she was sitting sideways, her legs across his arms, it provided both an view of the other's face. She struggled to get off him, knowing that she would be too distracted. "Can I sit on another chair? This is too squeezy for the both of us." She lied. He shook his head and resumed his stroking of her arm, causing her to squirm and him to gasp.

"Have I hurt you?" She asked quickly, concern evident in her voice as she moved about, trying to find the place where she thought she hurt him. It didn't occur to her that the gasp might not have been caused by pain. A strangled sound came from his throat and yet he wouldn't let her off his lap.

Her actions were causing the desire in him to become even more inflamed, her naivety contrasting greatly with the thoughts that plagued his mind ever since she had given him that woozy smile and told him to do so himself. There were so many scenarios where it would end with that woozy smile. It was hard to keep his hands off her, but he didn't want to scare her, but it was getting hard to control. All his undead life, he had never been filled with such lust, desire and…love. It was an unknown sensation, he had never believed that he could love or even fall in love so quickly. He wanted her, wanted her so badly and she wasn't doing anything to help ease it. Hugging her tightly, he teleported.

* * *

It was the oddest sensation and she gripped him so tightly, afraid to let go. Slowly, she lifted her head and saw that they were in a grandly decorated room with a huge fireplace and had cushions and was carpeted. "Put me down." She struggled out, landing on the floor with a thud. She gave him a small smile before stretching out on the carpet. A yelping bounding ball of fur joined her. The Count sitting in a chair himself. 

He watched her stretch and tumble around with the cub, the roaring fire casting warmth on everything else, the shadows outlining her curves and body, until she became a moving piece of sensual art. Every breath she took and expelled drew his attention, the rise and falls of her chest, those full lips enticing him like a bee to a flower.

Suddenly, she was on her back and the count was above her, looking at her with eyes full of powerful emotions. Fear blossomed and she closed her eyes, her face shying away from his gaze.

He should most definitely control his passion and it must have shown on his features since she called his name most tentatively, afraid of what was going to happen. "My name is Vladislaus Dracula. Call me by my name." His breath came out harshly. "Vlad…? Do you need to feed? If…if you promise not to suck me dry, I'll let you." She hardly knew what she was talking about as she drew back the neckline of her furs, revealing her neck. This was all too tempting for Dracula, she was offering herself to him. He slowly lowered his head and bit into willing flesh. The first jab of pain she would feel would be normal, but he would make it a pleasurable experience for her.

* * *

She was drawn into a world, a world of greys and blues, pieces of colourful glass of different shapes and sizes protruded out from everywhere, blue bolts of electric blue currents flowed around them.. In the shards, there seemed to be scenes playing. She walked closer to one small one and saw a young Vlad parrying with another man. Vlad was obviously winning and he made the other lose the sword. _"Van Helsing, I've beaten you again." He laughed. Van Helsing gave him an upset look. "One day I will win you instead Vladislaus Dracula!"_

Noriko! She heard her name being called and spun around to meet the warm hug of Dracula. Where are we? She wasn't speaking but the thought came out clearly, heard by both. Apparently in my mind. He gave her a wry smile and she took his hand and pulled him to another shard, a much larger one. Immediately he tried to pull her away, but she stood fast, watching another scene unfold, this time involving her as well. He groaned. Of all memories, she had found the one where he first met her. Why are some bigger and more beautiful with more colours? She asked. They're more important. He gruffly replied. He couldn't stop her as she ran from one shard to another, seeing his life, feeling his pain and anger and…want… It was like all his precious moments and secrets in his life were all being spied on by her, but he knew that he would tell her all about them sooner or later. He felt so vulnerable, causing her to shyly put her hand into his and holding it there. She blushed furiously, making him feel much better.

The whole place changed again and now they were in a world that looked beautiful, although it was badly scarred. This time, there were no shards, instead there were bubbles, bubbles of hope and the same electric blue charges. Vladislaus held firmly on her hand as he explored her life, the anger, shame and unknown feelings that she didn't understand. He was looking at a particularly large golden bubble, playing the scene where he was carrying her. He smirked. My dear, that is called pleasure... He purred. And she refused to look at him. You like me don't you? He watched her closely. She refused to answer and he had on a wide smile as he kissed her forehead. He explored all her fears, keeping them in mind, swearing to protect her from them. The fear of losing a love one appealed to him the most though. If you marry me, you'll never lose me. He nudged her, causing her to blush again and before he had time to enjoy that blush, everything faded away…

* * *

And they realized that she was lying on him, on the carpeted floor. "I believe that you have just taken a crash course to know me." He said wryly, Noriko smiled and blushed at the thoughts she had seen in his head as he flipped so that he was on top. His lips were inching closer to her expectant skin when she put her hands up, preventing him from doing so. "Thank you." She murmured as she raised her head and pressed her lips to the tip of his nose. 

He was surprised at her bold gesture and stared at her, noting apprehension, he slowly lowered his lips to return the favour, but this time, he kissed her on the lips. "Do it with passion, love…" He breathed into her lips. "Yes… By the Dark Lords, you're so sweet…" he murmured.

She obeyed his instructions, the hesitant hands now curling into his hair, pressing his head gently towards hers, sub-consciously. He dominated the kiss, invoking untold pleasures in her body, as she arched her back, molding their form as one. An inquisitive tongue made it harder to breathe as he hungrily explored her mouth, letting her taste run through his mouth, over his tongue, down his throat. He devoured her. It was amazing what a little praise can do for she began probing him back, hesitantly, but all the while growing boldly.

Their tongues fused as one, sliding across each other. Dracula was very aware of the mewling sounds coming from the back of her throat, her body shuddering with all the pleasure underneath him as his fingers traced a burning path over her skin. He smiled as he dropped small kisses on her heated skin, gently and tenderly worrying her ear, blowing into it, where he pulled part of the furs away, nibbling her collarbone.

Noriko had never been kissed before and his mouth was teasing hers and her whole body with feather-light kisses that barely qualified as such. Softness conformed to hardness. He resumed his journey at her mouth, but she kept it firmly close again, not wanting to lose herself like before. He conquered her with tenderness as she yielded. He tickled the corners of her mouth with the tip of his tongue, wanting to taste her again. She involuntarily relaxed and he pushed his tongue between her lips, not plundering like before, but persuading. It flickered over her lips, teeth, through her mouth, caressed with loving strokes each delicious discovery that belied the monstrous hunger growing within.

Her moans only encouraged his tongue to flirt with hers then delving deeply. He himself was losing control, fighting off the urge to strip her naked, to bare her smooth skin to his hungry eyes, for him to enjoy. They finally parted, both with ragged breaths, with her becoming aware of a sudden hard object poking her. He teleported them back to his bed, where she quickly fell asleep, tired with the whole experience. He cast a long loving glance to the woman sleeping peacefully on the bed, eyelashes fluttering against her skin, before he left, to find out more about the experience they had just gone through.

* * *

Ok, there's an exceptionally long chapter, hope you people enjoy it.

Its after exams and i am upset... simply put, i failed... not for all subjects of course... and i dont want to be kicked out of my class...

sniff


	7. Chapter 7

enjoy and review please?

I don't own him obviously

* * *

Somehow, Dracula felt that she didn't know what he really was, she knew he was a vampire all right, but she most certainly didn't know his hell-beast form. And it was becoming weirder and weirder, the whole experience that had both of them running through each other's minds, exploring and knowing each other… That was termed as 'blood-bonding'. Which didn't make much sense. It clearly stated that it could only be done if both were made for each other, were true to each other and would never stray. But it was termed as a very rare experience and for hundreds of years; he had never come across something like that before. In fact, he feared that he might have sucked too much blood from her.

* * *

She awoke, feeling a pair of eyes staring at her, it almost unnerved her until she realized that it was him. The man whom she had given her first kiss to, the man who could light her body easily with passion, the man who loved her… For who she was… He was staring at her reverently, like she was a goddess he worshipped. He opened his arms, beckoning and she clumsily crawled across the bed to his warm embrace. Who knew that she could trust and love someone so easily? Her body ached, recovering from the stress of the previous day's events.

Dracula held her, just thankful that she was here, alive and well. She was smiling, a smile of pure unadulterated happiness as she clasped him around his waist, nuzzling his stomach. Oh she was sweet… So so sweet… He gently picked her up, her eyes widening in childish awe and wonder. Vladislaus gently put her under the satin covers, following suit. His hands never left her body. They would be flitting across her arms, her small waist and outlining her lips. They weren't as full and pouty as his other brides, but they were full enough for him.

She was surprised that he had slipped in with her. She looked up at him, it was like drowning into pools of tar, once you slipped in you would never come out, but she would never want to come out… He had removed part of his shirt buttons, making her blush and turn away. But long slender fingers gently persuaded her reluctant and shy gaze back to him. He had a beautifully toned chest and her fingers ached to touch it, to feel whether it was as smooth and hard and forbidding as it looked. His next actions scared her terribly, for he revealed a small sharp dagger in his hand and quickly made a slash across his collarbone. Beads of ruby red blood gathered at the edges of the cut, threatening to spill over his whole chest. She refused to look at him. But he gently guided her head to the cut, forcing her mouth to remain there. She refused to drink his blood, but he coaxed her till she had no choice but to do so.

* * *

Her small pink tongue hesitantly flicked over the cut as he pushed her head further. She slowly began sipping at it, the motion of her lips on his bare skin making tingles run through him. He writhed a little, who knew that her innocence would prove to be so pleasurable. Dracula smirked, gently removing her head away. He had given her some blood, not enough to change her into a vampire though. He examined the skin, it had healed, but a love-bite was on it.

"Vladislaus…" She was trying out his full name, pursing her lips and pouting to see what effects she could get from just one name. Gods… "Yes my dear…" He purred, the smirk still on his lips. "Nothing." She sighed happily, content to stay in his arms as he told her tales of his past life, little chunks of information that amused both of them would be passed backwards and forwards. In this way, they spent the next few days together.

* * *

He wasn't planning to claim her body yet, denying himself the pleasure of doing so. He was going away, having to see to some urgent matters. The cub was left in her care and he gave her a parting kiss, short, but something that lingered.

* * *

Aleera waited till she couldn't hear her sire's wings anymore, waited till she was absolutely sure that the human was alone, she entered the library. Her previous bruises had hurt her so much, but most of them had healed. The human would pay for them. "Noriko," it was hard, but she managed to make her voice civil. "I pity you so much. You are nothing but a bird locked in a cage, unable to step out, having no freedom…" She trailed off.

"What do you mean? I can step out of here anytime I want."

"Alas, but you only know what, four or five rooms in such a big castle? And you can't even walk out of the castle since sire has locked all doors. Whoops! How careless of me…" Aleera knew for a fact that the human didn't like being locked up and she played that knowledge to her full advantage.

"I can't? What do you mean I can't?" The human stood up, and dashed to the entrance hall, with Aleera following regally behind. As she expected, the human couldn't open the doors at all. "How dare he lock me up like that! So all he was trying to do was keep me off my feet?" The human was angry. "Now, now, I was also a human, before I was forced to become a vampires…" Aleera pretended to be upset. "I'll help you get out of here, there's no reason as to why you should be locked up right?" She goaded the human's anger.

Noriko nodded, angry and furious that she had been tricked. One of her short-comings had always been her short temper and now it was being used against her though she didn't know it. "I have to get free, I won't be locked up!" She ranted, suddenly feeling very homesick, homesick of the wide woods, bubbling streams. She longed to be back in that enchanted forest she knew so well. She needed to be there. "Shadow!" She called as the pup ran to her side. He had grown quite large, reaching to her knee. They would leave this place together, but how?

"I can help you." Aleera grinned, grabbing the human in her hell beast form and flying her to some part of the forest, near human civilization, the heavy wolf followed.

* * *

She soon found herself back in the forest that she knew, but most of it was blanketed by snow. And although she loved the purity of snow, it also meant that she wouldn't be able to recognize part of the forest. She ran, barefooted over the terrain, with Shadow following behind. The snow crunched beneath her feet, this was it. This was what it felt to be free, to belong to the woods, to be part of Nature. She laughed, a carefree sound, exhilaration coursing through her veins as the cold wind blew across her face and unprotected body. That man who tricked her, humph, he would only be back by tomorrow and by then, she should have been able to hide away. She chuckled, running even faster, before finally collapsing at the foot of a tree. It felt good, good to be free.

* * *

Later when she finally got back her common sense, she groaned and cursed herself. For in all the stupidity in the world, how was she going to survive in only this set of winter furs, no shoes, no flint, no nothing? She gently patted Shadow's head. It seemed to her as if the only thing she had now was him. At least she knew there was a cave here. Somewhere.

It was early the next morning when she found it, she hid inside, taking a rest. Her body had honestly not recovered yet and the vampire blood which mingled with her blood had faded. She woke up later, finding that Shadow had slept on top of her, forming a blanket over her. She smiled wearily, before heading out to find food. If she was lucky, the snow may not have totally covered the traps set previously. If she was lucky.

* * *

Her eyes were drooping and her senses dulled as she trudged across the snow. A sudden yelp made her turn back. A group of men had caught Shadow. She sprinted over and let adrenalin and rage fuel her as she tried to fight them off, but it was three against one and furthermore, she had no knife. It didn't take much for them to bat her and pin her on the ground, the snow that she loved wetting the furs on her back, making her shiver dreadfully.

"Shadow…" She tried to speak, seeing that they had tied the wolf up, although she was glad that they had serious bite and claw marks on them. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" A man with platinium blond hair was mocking her. "Well, if it ain't the freak." The other two stood at his sides and sniggered at his every word. "Freak, you have grown, don't you think so? And I'm a very generous and nice person…" She spat in his face.

"Oh? We've gotten ourselves a lil' mountain kitten. Say meow lil kitten…" She glared at him, oh why oh why had she let her temper get the better of her? "And since I'm such a nice person, I'm going to at least let you know the meaning of pleasure. Of course no one would teach you that, but as I said, I'm nice." He gave a non-committal shrug, tugging at the belt on his trousers.

It suddenly hit her, what they meant. She panicked and started shouting for Vlad. If anyone would save her, it would be him. "Shut her up!" He hissed. A formally quiet evening became noisy, with Shadow whining in the background, Noriko screaming when she could and the noise they made in trying to keep her quiet. The furs which made up her clothes were roughly pulled down and she glared at them the best she could, now gagged and bound. Vladislaus! She screamed in her mind, feeling so powerless, so helpless.

* * *

read n review please?


	8. Chapter 8

Fortune Zyne: It gets even worse.

Haunting Whispers: Yup, i know, but i'm not gonna kill her so easily.

Ebony Night: Know what? I don't even have a boyfriend, heck, never even been kissed before. So thanks for the compliment!

XtheXpowerXofXmusicX: you're gonna hate me sooo much... but i need her death as a catalyst, so yup, she ain't gonna die so quickly.

Shero: He will, but there's a twist.

Velfin: So you know, Shadow's not only a minor character. I'll explain when this fic's done. grins and ya, definitely dracoc. i wouldn't just throw poor Noriko in there would i?

i'm so gonna be hated... x3

* * *

The moment he landed inside his bedroom, Vladislaus Dracula knew that something was wrong. Noriko wasn't there. He couldn't hear her or smell her. The only scent that lingered was that on the bedsheets and Aleera's scent. Angered, he teleported himself to Aleera's coffin instead. She was definitely the one behind his Noriko's disappearance, no one else would be capable of that. He dragged Aleera out of her coffin. "Did you!" He roared."No sire! No! Aleera wouldn't do things to displease sire… " she whined, collasping at his feet.

White hot fire burned through his veins as he flew out into the night sky, in his hell-beast form. He followed the scent through the forest, other smells invading his nose. But unfortunately for him, he was following a false trail. Vladislaus! He heard her scream in his mind. He flew even faster, swooping down, havingspied that shimmery silvery hair of hers.Two young men were holding her down as one prepared to enter her. She was writhing, refusing to beg for mercy, bound and gagged. It was with an unholy roar that he impaled the human on his talons.

Noriko watched in fear at the swooping creature. What was it? It looked a tad familar... It couldn't be... Fear washed over her, turning her churning insides to ice. Although she had always dreamed aboutinjuring those who hurt her, the sight of that flying swooping creature tearing the man apart was definitely not what she wanted to see. Her eyes closed, refusing to open as she heard screams of "The Lord save us!" and screams of pain and terror slicing through the night sky. She focused all her senses on Shadow, hearing him whine comfortingly. Andshe felt her furs being pulled up to cover her body. "Noriko..." Her bonds were quickly removed. And she staggered back, refusing to look into his eyes. A vice-like grip grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet the eyes of Vladislaus Dracula. It scared her immensely,HE scared her. His gaze, angry. She backed away like a frightened deer,rushing to Shadow's side and releasing him. Her chin trembled as she facedDracula. Hiseyes weren't so frightening anymore and he held his arms out, beckoning her like he did a few days ago... She fought back a tide of tears and collapsed in his arms, against his chest, feeling safe again, in comfortable territory. And she didn't realise that he had teleported, bringing only her with him and not Shadow as well.

He replayed the scene in his head, where she almost lost her virginity... It will not happen! Nobody else would be her first, except him! She was looking at him out offearful eyes, backing away as he stepped closer. Noriko moved backwards. He was holding her a few minutes ago, but now he had this predatory gait in his step, cornering her. Her heart beat faster as she willed herself to become emotionless, cold, detached. She tripped and fell backwards on his bed, the silky sheets making her movements to crawl back almost futile. He grabbed her across the waist as he removed her furs withswift movements. She struggled, kicked.An arm reached out to grab a bedside lamp. Struggle, struggle almost there, it was only a few centimetres from her reach... But he pulled her away from it. She managed to slide out and run for the door, her hands on the knob as he carried her kicking and flailing body and dumped her back on the bed.

She was kicking and struggling her flailing arm reaching out to grab a lamp. as she managed to get out from under him and ran for the door. He grabbed her again and hypnotized her, her body became limp and he drove within her, rage burning in him. He would be her first. HER FIRST!

When he stopped, he realized that she had already come out from under his hypnosis. She was emotionlessly staring at the ceiling, it was like she had become just a pretty doll, lying there in all her splendour and glory. Was she really still Noriko? Her eyes, wide, unblinking and blank scared him and he was overwhelmed by a sense of shame as he left her.

_Am I going to die… it hurts so much… will I die? Was it all a lie then? What happened to the Vlad that I liked…? Sweet, caring, concerned Vladislaus... Was it all a lie… a lie to have his way with me… Nanna, Shadow, how are you… I miss you all…_

He stood in the shower, watching the virgin's blood seep down the drain. Even though they were in different rooms, he still could not get the two contrasting pictures out of his mind. The one just a few days ago… The one where she smiled so happily and ventured to give him her first kiss from her to him on his nose, the sweet cherry cheeked blush that made her look so innocent…..To the current picture, the blankness of those dark purple eyes, a lifeless doll. He had never seen her like that before, in fact, her eyes always betrayed her emotions. She scared him. He turned and left the shower, all clean and fresh, but inside, he felt dirty.

She didn't notice it at first, but soon she realized that Vlad was in the room, looking at her and her torn clothes. She felt dirty, oh so dirty, why wouldn't he just let her rot, shrivel up and die alone. Rot. Rot. Rot. Rot. But it wasn't working.

His sweet sweet dryad refused to look him in the eye. He so badly wanted to make up for it, to tell her he was sorry, but it was hard to do so,simply put, he had never apologised before, not sincerely anyway.Her virginal blood stained both the white sheets and her inner thighs. He covered her trembling body with his damp one, the smell of sweat, blood and tears all mingled with her scent.

He was on her again. She couldn't take it anymore… silent sobs could be heard as she fought hard to remain emotionless and detached, but the pain existent in her heart overwhelmed all senses. She could feel pain start shooting up her body as he thrusted and moved inside her sore and raw body.

It was very simple.

Question: Was he still the Vlad she knew?

Answer: Pain

Question: Was it only a lie?

Answer: Pain

Question: Would he stop doing this to her? She was not a toy, even if... even if she loved him...

Answer: Pain

Pain

Pain

Pain

Pain, that was all she knew, the pain, physically, emotionally. The tight clenching of her heart, like someone was using a clamp to squeeze it.

Squeeze. Pain. Squeeze. Pain. Squeeze squeeze. Pain pain.

And she sank into the blissful darkness…

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you guys could drop a note telling me how much you hate me. ive never received hate mail before... 


	9. Chapter 9

Here you go! Dedicated to all who actually like it. Velfin, thanks. Hug! (hope i answered your questions.)

And also dedicated to my friend who doesn't know that i'm using her name (Hi Noriko!), to Jomel for lending me those awesome comics, to Isabelle for just being Isabelle.

I don't own anything and i'm going to change the summary soon... Yup!

The italics means they didn't say it out, figure out which is which k? I'm continuing from that really short paragraph.

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She suddenly sat upright, in cold sweat, shaking and shivering. Her senses were dull in the darkness and her lower body ached. A warm hug immediately enveloped her. "You okay?" Dracula finally asked, the words came out without their usual elegance.He didn't know what to say. He hated himself for putting her through such a nerve wrecking experience, and it was most probably that she hated him as well, but he didn't know how to say sorry. He was most surprised when she launched herself deeper into his embrace. She had a nightmare, it scared her very badly, but... She couldn't remember what it was all about. That scared her worse than anything and... She needed comfort, craved some token of reassurance. Mindlessly she clutched his arms and he cupped the back of her head and forced her face down into the hollow between his shoulder and neck. She burrowed there, letting the soft cloth absorb the torrent of relentless, salty tears.

"It was so dark..." She sobbed, then she suddenly pulled back, remembering the previous events. The way his black eyes had turned into a shocking electric blue... The way he... She refused to think further, for with the memories came the pain, the pain of knowing that she was being used and, that her love for him would be unrequited. Alarm bells sounded in her head as she struggled to hide her concern for him.

* * *

"Are... Are you hurt anywhere else?" How she loved that silky voice, and that gentle tone, did he use it for all his toys? Fresh sorrow sprung in her heart and she longed to be enfolded in his powerful warmth, Dracula was almost sobbing with frustration and pain inside, for the moment she pulled back, pangs could be felt in his undead heart, but how to express it? He had only been taught how to scheme, plan, cause chaos and kill,but never to love. He wanted to just grasp his parents by the neck and scream at them. Why hadn't they taught him to love? Why did they teach him battleground tatics, how to torture, how to kill, how to please them in their sadistic way, but not to love? He ranted and raved inside like a madman. If they had at least taught him how to please a lover, someone he truly liked, he wouldn't have done that. He wouldn't have tortured her like that... How he hated his parents! What he had done was honestly in a blind rage, he admitted silently to himself, a stupid action done to assure himself that she was still his... Thinking back, it made no sense, no sense at all to do that, but what was done has been done, the die had been cast and the stage was set, and there was nothing he could do to turn back time.

* * *

She could sense him leave the room, leave her to her tears, her drained self, both emotionally and physically. She would leave this place, leave this place and never come back, leave behind what was left of her and her feelings, an old shell. She would escape into the forest and soar through it, living her days there for the rest of her life... She lay there and dreamed, dreamed of the sun filtering through the dense tree tops, reaching her and enfolding her in its warmth, to build a new life, a new beautiful, golden life. And since she was dreaming, she brought Nanna back to life, guiding her, teaching her, showing her new life as spring would come, a fresh green spring promising new starts, new beginnings... A golden summer full of ripe fruits of their labour, warm, yet not too warm, it would never get too warm in Transylvania. And autumn! Autumn would bring about cleansing with her constant showers of rain, storms and lightning would prove to be the main show...and at last, winter would lift her snowy mane, change the rain into snow, frost would settle on the land and everything would be peaceful. But first she had to escape. Escape! The word rang in Noriko's mind, she had almost forgotten what she meant to do. Yes, she would escape this prison, away, away from this... Vampire.

* * *

The moment she stepped out of the room, she knew that Vlad had done something. Suddenly immersed in a dream-like state, every turn she took changed the whole layout of the castle. One hand placed on the wall would definitely ensure her escape, she thought. But things proved to be even worse, she entered rooms, dark and damp, even making her way to the library was proving to be an impossible task. There were gargantuan spiders, huge monstrous plants withjaws. She was becoming reluctant to open anymore doors that seemed familar to her. Unbeknownst to her, she was walking a path down, a path leading to the dungeons.

* * *

That was weird... He could suddenly hear a loud thumping sound. By right, the victim should have died by now. He mused, looking down at the dead body of a young child in his hands, he didn't plan to feed on a child, but the child's adoptive father, he supposed, had pushed him into his claws. Slash.The young child had died immediately, it was an accident, but sincethe childwas dead, he might as well feed. He sensed the heartbeats go faster, it was like a rapid fire rifle in his ears. Thump thump thump thump thump. He looked up, to see Noriko standing on the steps, her eyes were open wide. "H... How could you...? That's Deke... How could you... Kill him...?" She trailed off, as if not quite believing that he could do such a thing. He rose, cleaning the blood from his mouth. "Noriko..." He reached out to her, but she flinched.

"How could you kill Deke? Don't touch me! Don't touch me... You murderer... That's what you are... A murderer... Murderer... Murderer!" He was holding her close, and her fists flailed against his chest. Tears flowed and splashed on the stone floor. If she had looked up into his face, she would have seen the arrogant and confident mask he usually wore slip. Dracula's eyes and features actually scrunched up with pain. Murderer... The word rang in the dungeons, echoing. She was pushing against him, trying to get away. _Don't leave me... Whatever you do, you cannot leave me..._"You cannot leave me!" _You are mine,I would never let you leave, not for the world, not for anything. I need you, do you understand? I need you, I don't care if the whole world disapproves, or even if Satan disapproves. Whatever happens... _

_I need you._

Noriko looked up in fear, they were on a bed now. "No!" She struggled. "You must never leave me! My dryad, i will make you never leave me..." Then he smiled, he smiled ever so gently, "I will pleasure you... You are mine." He said it with pure finality. Her heart beat rapidly as Dracula gently kissed her, pulling her to him, how had she longed for him to kiss her like that...

_I don't care how dirty you are... How misused..._ Her fingers entwined in the silken bedsheets, her grip tightening as his mouth skilfully skimmed across her body.

_I don't care who you are, I only want you._ He loved the taste of her skin, the feel of her slim body beneath his, the contact-skin to skin. He enjoyed pleasuring her like this, watching her squirm under his talented fingers. Bottomline- he loved her. Loved the way her breath came out in short little puffs, warming his already warmed skin, loved the way her skin gleamed under the moonlight, the way he could elicit such... Sounds from her... "Vlad...?"

"I am here my dear, forever here." He murmured against her hair, as he watched her ragged breathing even out, she had fallen asleep. _I love you..._

_Do you know that...?_

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There. Like it?

Phew another whole lot more of chapters to go!

Grins. I'm drunk on just plain living


	10. Chapter 10

_No own, no sue._

_yeah it did happen, what i didn't delete or replace, it happened. the underlined are dream sequence._

_

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To be loved by my lover... Isn't that what I want? Noriko opened her eyes, which held a kind of tired sorrow. Just when I had finally forced my feelings to fade... "Noriko..." the face of her lover, no, the face of Dracula,came into view. Somehow, she could only force herself to call him Dracula. She was trying to break all ties with him and this was the furthest she could go. "My lovely dryad, you've finally awoken." He was smiling, and she was aware of how handsome he was... Again. She pushed herself straight and moved backwards until she hit the bed's headboard, trying not to make any physical contact with him.He was wearing black long pants and had on a half buttoned white shirt, revealing part of his muscular chest. Her stomach churned. _

Noriko opened her eyes, which held a kind of tired sorrow. "Noriko..." the face of her lover, no, the face of Dracula,came into view. Somehow, she could only force herself to call him Dracula. She was trying to break all ties with him and this was the furthest she could go. "My lovely dryad, you've finally awoken." He was smiling, and she was aware of how handsome he was... Again. She pushed herself straight and moved backwards until she hit the bed's headboard, trying not to make any physical contact with him.He was wearing black long pants and had on a half buttoned white shirt, revealing part of his muscular chest. Her stomach churned.

"Noriko," He grabbed one of her hands which was clutching the bedspread covering her naked body. Dracula noted the numerous love bites that covered her exposed skin with satisfaction. "This body has held you numerous times... Made love to you... Pleasured you, for the past three days and nights since you fainted..." While saying, to her utmost horror, he ran her hand on his chest, his waist, before stopping on his cheek. Her eyes were scrunched shut, almost painfully, as she tried hard to pull away, but the iron grip only tightened and he pulled her in for a kiss. This kiss was slow, passionate and loving and like all his other kisses, never failed to make her body go weak and limp in his arms. Her arms entwined behind his head of their own accord the contact of his soft, gentle lips against hers shot sparks through every nerve ending.

She longed for more of his touch, unconsiously changing from her sitting position to a kneeling one, so that both were kneeling. He caught her hands by her wrists, as he kissed her fingertips. Her muscles were turning to water, her brain clouding up, as she ran his speech through her mind over and over again. For three days and nights since you fainted... Her previously closed and relaxed eyes shot wide open. "Fainted?" She choked out that single word. Dracula smiled, and in this smile, she could only see triumph andtaunts. He kissed her ring finger a last time, lingering. _Why lingering? _Her face blushed red, the memories of their lovemaking emerged in her horrified brain. "Yes, I have begun to believe that I should sire you. The doctor said that you had only a mild exhaustion. If I had sired you, we wouldn't have that problem, would we?" He got up and left, abruptly. _Soon, I will make that promise, the promise that wouldn't hurt you, I swear on my undead life, soon. _"I am going to my summer palace, to get things ready for you. Don't try to escape for that will only prove to be both futile and foolish,you **belong** to me. I look forward to your open arms when I return." He threw back a last look, his eyes feasting on the sight of her and smirking at her flushing face.

-----

She fell back, seeking safety in the pillows around her. _I tried so hard to lose hope that you never loved me, why did you have to waltz right in and give me hope again...?_

_------_

"Aleera!" She called. She still needed a new life, away from **him**. "Aleera? I want to get out of here, away from... your sire. I'll run away and he'll never find me. Aleera..." She wrapped the bedsheets around her shoulders. He hadn't left her with any clothes. She paced around the room, covered with only that cape. "Ack!" Aleera was walking upside down, mimicking her, except that she was on the ceiling instead. The female vampiress had on a simple white dress this time, looking as fabulous as ever. She gave Noriko a haughty look and tossed her a small satchet. "Swallow it and you'll be able to jump out of the window, directly without getting injured. Tata my lovely." She smirked sacarstically, before vanishing. Aleera had learned, if she wanted to help this human out of her way, she had to do it indirectly, without her sire from knowing and besides, she hadn't mention one of the side-effects... She laughed, her laughter reverberating in her room. An evilish shrieking sound of triumph.

-----

Noriko looked dubiously at the small packet, she had nothing to lose... She swallowed it down, almost gagging and vomitting at the horrible bitter taste, then it turned sweet, so sweet that she dashed to the bathroom and furiously drank water. With that done, She examined herself. She didn't feel anything different... Well, here goes, she leapt, out of the window, and to her amazement, bounced off the snow and landed somewhere in the forest. The moment she regained her bearings and when the adrenaline rush and subsided a little, she stood up, pulled her cape closer and began to walk towards to the other end of the forest. If she kept along to her current speed, she would be at the other side by evening, she calculated.But as she walked on, she began to have an insight into how an ice cube must feel like. Hours later, she started having headaches as well, and, her eyesight was blurring. The trees looked like people, all stretching out their arms to her... _How odd that one should have a hat...? _

-----

"Miss? Miss? Eh Miss?" Van Helsing cursed. Of all times...

-----

His kiss sent her spinning again, hard and pungent._ Noriko..._Her body, already tingling with panicked excitement. The moan ripped out of her. She felt his cheek rubbing against hers. Dozens of pulses began to beat in a rhythm that drummed over and over in her head. Restlessly, ruthlessly, his hands stroked over her, feeling her arch, hearing her tangled breaths. _Noriko..._She inhaled the passion rising to his skin, that musky, heady, manly, masculine scent that she could drown in. He was smooth, his torso hard as iron, but the skin over it was soft. _Noriko._She could glide her fingers over it and feel his muscles tense. Strong. She'd always needed strength, but she'd found it only in herself. _Noriko...! _Passion. She'd wanted it, craved it, then dismissed it as something she'd have to live without. His lips were on her breast. The muscles in her stomach contracted as he encircled the tip with his mouth. With teeth and tongue and lips he brought her an exquisite torture. His lips roamed lower and lower... _Noriko! _He moaned, as she gave her all into this madness that devoured her. Pleasuring her, pulling her up with him on his climb... His breaths coming out in pants as well, serving to only fuel the passion between them, as he gently stroked and caressed and moved...within her...

-----

"Ah!" _Noriko... My dryad... His breath tickling her ear... _"Are you ok Miss? You seemed to be having a nightmare. You fainted in the middle of the woods. Doctor said you were terribly weak. Let me get you a glass of water." A large worn trenchcoat was thrown over her naked body. _It was just a dream. _The man entered again, with the said glass of water. she grapsed it tightly in her hands, "What's your name? I'm Van Helsing." She looked up, Van Helsing, a man with rugged, handsome and masculine features. Dark brown hair pulled casually back into a ponytail, warm brown eyes filled with concern. _Rarely would someone look at her with such concern. I wish..._Tears threatened to form and spill, but she blinked them back. "Noriko." She gave him a smile. Van Helsing was looking curiously at her, the naked girl who fell in his arms that same afternoon when he was out hunting. This female... Noriko... Her smile was so innocent, trusting and naive. She looked totally different than others, with flowing silver hair and wide purple eyes, if she didn't faint in his arms, he might have shot her. "Well, I guess you'll be wanting to bathe, you were naked except for that sheet... I didn't see! The bathroom is in here, you had a raging fever just now and I'll pass you some clothes." He realised that he was rambling and he shut his mouth, his ears were burning as well.

She accepted the towel he held out and headed into the bathroom. It was of course not as beautiful, or grand as the one in his castle. As her thoughts dredged back to him, she was faced with the most recent dream as well. _Even in my dreams you won't leave me alone..._

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"Noriko? Here's your clothes, I'm opening the door..." He never got to finish what he wanted to say, for he opened the door and saw her standing in front of the mirror, naked with only his trenchcoat clutched at her chest. Her head was thrown back, elegantly, as if she were some ballet dancer, eyes closed andher lips parted, her silver hair flowing behind her. He could see love bites on her neck and collarbone. For the second time that day, Van Helsing blushed as he helplessly took in the contours of her body. He laid the clothes on the floor and closed the door silently, the image of her in his mind, as his cheeks burned long and hard...

-----

She glanced at the reflection of her in the mirror, and saw marks on her skin for the first time. _Vlad's marks... Of course he would mark me... _She rubbed at her skin, but they wouldn't go off. The silent memories of the three days and nights together flowed through her mind, infused with warmth. _Why is it that even now... I still long for his touch...? Vlad's scent... Vladislaus' hands, lips, everything that was him in essence, I crave it... _A small sigh escaped as she vehemently tried to banish all thoughts of him, but that was impossible. She changed into an oversized white shirt of Van Helsing's and one of his oldest breeches, but even then she had to use a rope to hold it up a little.

-----

Van Helsing took a glance at her, then turned away and paid more attention to the rabbits roasting on the spit. Her hair was still wet and it glimmered as she tried to towel it dry.

She sat down next to him on a log. "Eh Miss, Noriko, after this meal I'll be riding off-" "Bring me with you!" Her outburst only led to him raising an amused eyebrow.

"I can help you do whatever you want to do,I can ride, hunt or... Anything!" The sudden prospect of escaping on a horse, which would prove to be valuable in her escape from him made her stumble over her words.

"I'll be riding over to the next town mam. The rabbit seems to be ready..."

"Please let me come with you? I'll work for my lodging, I'll work to repay you, I won't be a burden to you!" Noriko seemed more flustered than ever. Van Helsing was planning to head over to Carl's tavern.

Well, he often went there to work at times, when he wanted to take a break from his hunting demon kinda thingy job... "Okay, Noriko, but we do things my way." But he had this gut instinct, like he might regret it later, what could she possibly be running from?

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	11. Chapter 11

I don't own VH

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It would only take one day of riding to get to Carl's tavern, but if he weren't on Thunder, the journey would take two to three days. Noriko... It was strange to see a female with silver hair, but maybe that was why her 'uniqueness' led to her to being abused. His memory going back to the love bites he saw on her. She must have ran from the brothel, he mused, honestly, Van Helsing was one who disapproved of brothels. He knew that most of these young women were pulled into it by force, so he decided to help her, without knowing the true story regarding her.

He tilted his head slightly, looking down on her. She was fast asleep, her head nestled against his chest. She smelled fresh and feminine. A simple infusion that teased his senses as the horse galloped on. It wasn't long before they reached the edge of the forest. "Noriko. Wake up." He could feel her suddenly stiffen, like having been jolted awake.

Right. She had asked him to tell her when they were near the edge of town. She drew the raven coloured bedsheet around her, turning into a cloaked figure."Please proceed Van Helsing, sir." She told him. Knowing Vladislaus, he probably had spies everywhere. It had taken her much effort to escape... And she wasn't planning on going back there again soon. _You have claimed both my heart and my body, it is only right that I keep my soul with me now._

"Carl! Elsie! How nice to see the both of you again! Can we go someplace private to talk? Carl and I, Elsie and you." He said as he joined Carl behind the bar and started dishing out drinks.

The lady Van Helsing called as Elsie, held Noriko firmly by the arm and led her up to a room. In this whole flurry of events, which involved entering the almost full tavern, jostling and maneuvering her way through, all the while holding the head of her makeshift hood tightly. Curious faces tried to peer in and she had to quickly sidestep them.

"You can remove your hood now. Nobody but I can see you."

Noriko hesitantly obeyed, drawing the hood slowly down, she finally got a full view of... Elsie. Taller than her, with warm brown eyes and glossy black hair tied in a bun, ruddy cheeks and a friendly smile.She wasn't anything spectacular, but at least, she was normal looking. Just as the way she had scruntinised Elsie, Elsie was scruntinising her too.

"My, my, where did you get such... Unique hair? And you look so skinny, haven't you had a good meal in ages? We're having roasted pheasant tonight, with gravy and potatoes. Tch tch, you should eat more you know."

"I know, but I didn't have the appetite." That at least was the truth. Dracula was also very worried about her since he couldn't persuade her to eat much, he didn't starve her that's for sure, but she just couldn't eat anymore, even though it seemed as though she had a hole in her gut. How she survived eating so little, she didn't know.

Elsie had taken note of the love bites on the other female's neck almost instantly. The poor girl... She was thin, but you could still see that her body had once been toned and wiry. The other girl was covering her neck as well, as if she knew what was going through Elsie's mind.

She needs a new look, a disguise, she thought. "You should have some rest now dear, I'll wake you up for dinner. Oh, by the way, my name's Elsie. Rest well dear." She turned to leave.

"Mine's Noriko. Thank you. Elsie." The second part, her name was added rather hesitantly, as if she didn't know what to say. "No problem my dear." A clear, strong yet soft voice, Elsie noted as she hurried downstairs to prepare the food for dinner.

Noriko watched the other woman hurry downstairs. Before collapsing on the bed. It wasn't as soft as the one in his castle of course, but it was still a bed. She looked around. The room wasn't too big, but it was still considered big to her. A simple room furnished with a cupboard, a bookshelf and another door, probably leading to a bathroom. A rustic homely kind of place, she decided, before succumbing to the bed, where her dreams remained peaceful, her body needed rest, having just recovered recently.

She woke up much later, feeling refreshed and better, but her cheeks remained pale in comparison to her normal tan, like there were shadows dancing in under her eyes. Her body was weak, and frail. She walked to the door, when it opened, Elsie's face popped out. "Hello my dear! You have finally woken up, are you hungry? Come on down, there's no need for that silly hood of yours, nobody's here other than for us." She turned, leading the way down the stairs. "Oh, and the windows and doors are both locked and covered as well, there's no need to worry."

Van Helsing looked up, watching Noriko carefully walk down the staircase on wobbly feet. Violet bruises of fatigue were ringing her eyes and she looked extremely fragile. She looked good in his shirt and pants. Damned good, he decided. Carl had been doing some touching up to the place, and it looked fabulous now. The tarvern was made up of mainly one long room with its little western alcove at the top, but it was large and darkly airy, strongly built, with wide boards and beams, a gleaming floor, a deep stone fireplace, a bar and a creaky staircase.

Doors led to the kitchen where Elsie reigned supreme and to bathrooms situated at the sides. In the middle was a round table, made of green birch, his present to them. "Vampires have only one weakness, green birch, so when a vampire comes, you can throw this table at him." He had joked. And now, it was laden with proof of Elsie's skill as a chef.

A roasted pheasant sat in the middle in all its glory, shining with the special sauce Elsie made, it was like a king unto its own right, thick brown gravy surrounded it, with a harem of mini potatoes, skinned and boiled to perfection, by only smelling it, he was sure that the dish would taste absolutely fabulous.

Why? Because he was already salivating. Loaves of homemade bread, with their crusty outsides and soft insides were in a basket, and mugs of beer for men and wine for women accompanied the whole meal. Clearly, Elsie had been longing for this chance to fatten him up.His stomach growled. And there was cold potato salad as well, smothered with cream, and if he didn't guess wrongly, she would most likely have dessert ready for them.

Carl stared at the silver haired female. It was ODD. She was WEIRD. And Carl was OVERREACTING a little inside. "Carl!" Van Helsing hissed and smacked his longtime friend on the head. "Ouch!" Carl rubbed his head, his attention had been so caught up by the newcomer, that he didn't realise the food had been laid. Sniff sniff. What was that heavenly smell...? "Elsie! I love you sooooo much, my saviour, my love, you saved the stomach once again!" Thus saying, he grabbed his wife up and spun her around laughing.

His laughter and schoolboy behaviour broke the previous silence, where the hosts were staring and the guests, letting them do so. Laughing, Elsie beckoned them to the table. "Silly, come now, it's fabulous when it's hot." She gestured to the pheasant, as she gave her husband an affectionate kiss.

For the first time in ages, Noriko felt hungry, true, this type of home cooked fare was nothing compared to the fine wines and delicate and delectable fare Dracula prepared. There it was again, that sharp jolt of pain. She sighed, if this was to be her fate, that would be it, it was better to have only these occasional pangs. The meal proved to be extremely enjoyable and she even had three or four helpings, oh boy, Elsie was the BEST. And there was her homemade apple pie, with vanilla ice-cream, complementing each other...

"I swear you're going to make me fat." She smiled at her hostess as they cleared the dishes. Well, you sure need some fattening, Elsie thought.She had thoughtof how to disguiseher, having spoken with Van Helsing, they agreed that if she was to stay here, she needed a damned good one.The hair was easy,as a child, she used to play with a specialkind of root that stained your hands black, and the effect lasted for a day, that would be easy to procure... And the other girl had already asked to help in the tarven to earn her keep. That would definitely be possible... They had better go test it out first.

Dracula was overseeing the last of the decorations, a manor overlooking the sea, much smaller than his castle, but he was sure that Noriko would love it. Noriko, every single moment was spent thinking, wondering about her, even on the flight back, even now as he entered the still room... Where was she? Needless to say, she had decided to run away again. _Why did you have to leave me? I can't live without you, I'd rather die, please come back to me... _

He stood by the window, watching the dark world outside, as he waited for his vampires to come. "Find her. Find my dryad, my queen and my love, search the whole place and bring her back to me."

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phishie, getting a lil too lazy... reviews anybody? 


	12. Chapter 12

Booya! Merry Christmas everybody!

I hope you guys will like this. And as usual, I don't own our dear handsome Dracula... He's such a dedicated lover

* * *

The root worked perfectly, turning her silver coloured hair into dark, raven locks. There was nothing that could hide the colour of her eyes though, but that did not matter, since they were dark enough to be mistaken for black.

Elsie helped to tie her hair up, into a bun, and after donning on the clothes provided and the apron, you really couldn't tell who she was. At least, that was Carl's comment.

Van Helsing donned a simple white shirt and dark brown pants. This would not be his first time working here, he would be serving and she would help. She. She looked beautiful, hair drawn away from her face, revealing her pale skin that was an effect due to her previous sickness. Revealing those almond shaped eyes, beautiful to look at, perfect to admire.

Noriko admitted silently to herself, she was nervous and frightened what if Dracula saw her? What if he decided to punish Elsie? What if? What if? For now, she could only pray that the drifting snow would cover both her tracks, and her scent.

Damned it all! The cursed weather that brought his love to him was now hiding her away, no sign of her anywhere. No scent, no nothing, no Noriko.

No Noriko… _My love…_

_My wife-to-be._

As the days passed, she became used to her routine, serving and getting paid by the customers, Carl's tavern was a decent establishment and thankfully, none of the customers tried to do anything to her. A sudden urge took her to look out of the window, she had passed Lady Winter in fear, but Youthful Spring had brought joy, even though she was akin to a bird in a cage, not allowed to go out. If it weren't for Elsie teaching her how to cook, or Gabriel playing with her, she might have thought that the days were too long. It was now nearing the beginning of Autumn and soon, Gabriel would leave, and how she would miss him!

Vladislaus walked outside Carl's tavern, when he was in a fluster such as the past few seasons, he would roam the streets of this town, under the secrecy of his cloak. He could swear, that he somehow always felt closer to her in this town, and he would always get little sniffs of her scent, something he dismissed as being too… Ugh… Lovesick. If it was to be lovesick for his dryad, he wouldn't mind one bit.

Vlad… Noriko silently said his name, her voice still sounded wistful… Her thoughts remained on him as she cleared the tables, it was very late and this was the last customer. Turning around, she knocked into Gabriel's back, dropping the plates and bowls, breaking some of them. "I'm so sorry!" _I can hear her voice_ "It's alright sweetie, don't touch them, I'll get the broom." In her fluster, she cut her index finger. Gabriel was by her side in that instant, helping to clean up, examining her wound. "Don't they look so sweet together?" Carl beamed at them. _I can smell blood_

A jingle of bells signaled the opening of the door. " We're done for the night sir!" Carl told the cloaked stranger.

Noriko's attention was fixed on the stranger; there was something familiar about him, something that tugged at her heart. She stood up, slowly, her hand drifting out of Gabriel's grasp. That posture, that stride… Him.

Tears started streaking their way down her face as the stranger removed his hood. Tears of joy, relief perhaps, she never realized how much she longed to return to him, how much she missed him. "Dracula!" Van Helsing hissed, as the removal of the hood revealed the aristocratic features, pale skin and those haunted eyes. There was something wrong about this picture… His eyes… They weren't haunted, they were… Happy, glad, relieved…

Gabriel refused to be sidetracked and he leapt, pulling a sword off the wall, in one fluid movement, drove it through Vladislaus Dracula's stomach.

Dracula pulled it out, flinching, as Noriko approached him, one hand out, trembling.

Carl had dragged his wife with him and hidden, much to her indignation, leaving Van Helsing watching the whole scene, his legs rooted to the spot.

Her hand touched his cheek, slowly, eyes ever on his. This was not a dream… He was real. His left hand clasped over hers, gently, rubbing her palm against his cheek, her hands were rough and bumpy, but gentleness was in those rough hands. Using the pad of his thumb, he wiped away her tears, only they existed in this timespace. The surroundings all faded away and all his senses were trained on her. He kissed the cut on her finger, as her other hand went to his stomach, where he was stabbed. Her tears kept falling, as she leant her lips against his, tiptoeing. Soft, warm and chaste.

She missed him, missed him so badly, but she slowly took a step back. Honestly, she was mentally exhausted. A constant inner battle over him, and she was just _so tired, so tired of the whole mess_. _So tired of the confusion inside, so tired… So tired, and sleepy_. Now that she had seen him at last, she was content to just sleep, to rest and… To heal

Her hair was dyed a black, her once tanned skin was pale and her wiry frame had turned slender, too slender. She was dressed in those ridiculous clothes of a _maid. _Something was terribly wrong with her. It was like in slow motion that he watched her knees give way, fear replaced relief as he caught her.

He had smelt something wrong with her blood, terribly wrong. A backhander to the stunned and confused Van Helsing, whoops, he dodged. Ah there, he's going to be sleeping for a while then. Changing into his hellbeast form, he carried her away.

It was like he was just carrying an empty shell, she was so light. Her eyes were glazed, staring into nothingness. She shivered and he held her to him, tighter, fearing that she would fall.

* * *

He slid her underneath the thick blanket, putting his lips to her neck, he made an incision, taking a sip of her blood. His eyes widened, she was poisoned, or had been poisoned for quite some time. Apparently her willpower helped her fight against it, but her body had given in, the poison was winning, taking her down with it. His fangs lengthened and he cut his wrist, an infusion of his blood would help heal her definitely, vampire blood was what prevented them from getting sick afterall. 

He put it to her lips,but she wasn't responding, she couldn't swallow. _Come on..._ He couldn't lose her now... Think, think, think... His normally rational mind was in a fluster, all because of her. He cut her wrist too, then melded both wrists together, letting their blood mingle, making his flow into her body. _Please... Please..._

He stopped the infusion after a while, too much at such a critical moment could kill her, blooding needed time and the proper circumstances. By forcing too much into her body, she would suffer. He watched by her side. If her body were to reject the large amount of vampire blood inside her...

* * *

:3


	13. Chapter 13

Happy New Year!

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There was this gentle voice and such reassuring warm hands. _Vlad…? If this is a dream, I wish you would stay by my side forever._ A warm embrace, like someone was holding her, and she fitted into that someone perfectly. _Is it raining then?_ Her cheeks felt rather damp, and the moisture was rubbed away.

It was uncommon for Vladislaus to cry, but cry he did, the tears falling on his beloved's face. He tilted his head back, forcing the tears to stop, but one erratic one continued its descent down his cheek. "Why are you crying?" The voice was hoarse.

"Because…" His eyes widened as a few more tears made their way down. He looked down hurriedly, using the back of his hand to wipe away the remaining tears that blurred his eyesight.

She was awake.

Looking not much better, but she was awake. That meant… That it worked, the blood infusion worked! He laughed, a warm sound, filled with joy.

"Vlad…?" His name out of her sweet lips, her voice growing stronger and more certain. And her delightful face was filled with confusion. Oh, the world was such a fabulous place!

"Nothing my dear, nothing." He chuckled as he kissed her firmly. She gave him a small smile and snuggled deeper into his arms.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, Aleera was watching the whole proceedings. "I don't bloody hell believe it!" She cursed. "That poison was to take her down by the latest, during Spring!" She shrieked, stomping all over the place. "Vlad…?" She mimicked Noriko's voice, twisting it, giving it a sharp edge. "I've never seen sire cry like that before. Never! Why is it that she can make him cry like that!" 

She took a gasp, "Furthermore, he wiped his tears using his hand! Sire is not such a person! His clothes were rumpled and his hair down…!" She shrieked a few more times. "Vlad. Vlad. Vlad. Why can she address him like that! She isn't even blooded! Where's her manners?" Her voice had grown even sharper and louder as she began throwing things everywhere. She spun around again, throwing a vase at the door. "Why Aleera, are you throwing my things about? And I believe that this was one of my favourites too. It was given to me by my Father, bless his tormented soul, I got it when he died… Hmmm.. No wonder it was one of my favourites." He murmured, admiring the vase.Aleera was staring at him in shock, she had forgotten. Sire could hear what she said just now… And read her mind if he wanted to.

* * *

"You're upset aren't you Aleera? Upset over this new human…" He purred into her ear. "Now what should we do to help you? If the human isn't here, you'll be much happier no?" "Yes sire. She's like a thorn in my flesh…" She hissed, glad that Dracula was seeing things her way. 

"A thorn in your flesh you say… If we got rid of the thorn, the flesh wouldn't hurt would it? (Nodding from Aleera) But what if we removed the flesh?" With a growl, he stabbed her through the stomach from the back. "What do you think? We get rid of you instead, shall we?"

* * *

Hearing shrieks and cries of pain, Noriko got up from the bed, she was still wobbly, but she made it to the staircase, she climbed higher and higher and the shrieks got worse. "Aleera?" She called.

* * *

Aleera smirked at the voice. If she was going to die, she was going to break them apart first. 

She had sworn to do so.

Summoning her strength, she teleported right in front of the human. She knew how she must look, bloodied, bruised, open wounds with her bones showing and jutting out. Definitely a sight for sore eyes. "This is how your darling Vlad will treat you!" She cackled, pushing the other female down the stairs. Then summoning her last reserves, she teleported away, she had to get away from the scene.

* * *

"Noriko? My love?" She wasn't in the room where he left her. "Master, Master! The one you seek is here!" Igor called. He dashed towards the staircase, where her crumpled body lay, her body like a rag doll's.

* * *

Hours of pacing later, as the human doctor waited anxiously for her to wake up. "Sir… She… She has no injury to her…So far…" The doctor stammered. 

This was one of the worst hours of waiting. Waiting for her to awaken. Waiting.

Tick tock.

Tick tock.

Tick tock.

More pacing around as the doctor cowered.

"Sir…" The doctor's voice was tinged with relief, maybe the Count would let him go now.

Vladislaus Dracula looked at the form sitting upright on the bed. Her senses were alert and raring to go. Even her posture was like a deer getting ready to run at the first sign of danger. "Who are you and why am I here?" She demanded.

Answers to her questions.

"What did you say!" He grabbed her wrist tightly.

Her dark stormy purple eyes stared back into his black ones in defiance.

"Who. Are. You."


	14. Chapter 14

Happy new year! Well here's another chapter. Initially, i didn't want to continue, because i had already completed the story in my head. And it seemed like a sappy love story, but we all love sappy love stories. (the 'but' revived everything)

So here it is. Hope it makes people happier, healthier and wealthier, but that's just the author rambling.

Happy birthday Chris! (yes, you, ladyalmathea)

ps: hope there's no typos. it's past twelve here. and i ought to get to bed soon. early sleeper i am.

* * *

It was a dream wasn't it? This whole 'who-are-you' was just Noriko's plan to make him worry wasn't it? To make him shake and shiver as if ice flowed through his veins, to make him scoop her up suddenly and press kisses to her, wasn't it? A ploy to gain more attention.

He grew dizzy. The world seemed to be spinning and all he could focus on were those mavue eyes. Conflicting, stormy and confused. With only a simple question in it.

Then he fell. His knees ironically, hitting hard on the soft, carpeted floor. The doctor didn't exist, the bed didn't exist, all the expensive, exquisite furnishings all didn't exist. Only that vague inner pain. Spreading and spreading, like a plant. Vines crawling all over his dark empty heart; once full with love, but now just a void. Dark and hungry, and torturous.

Noriko watched as the man's eyes grew wide with disbelief, as he fell, one hand clutching his chest. For that split second while he was standing up, his back seemed rigid with control, his whole face, open, afraid maybe. Eyes so wide, so so wide that the contrast with his dark eye colour and that of bleached bone white, the entire picture of him, frightened her. As he painfully expelled and inhaled, producing an unnatural rattling sound. What had he lost that should produce such a reaction?

Noriko's knuckles clenched the royal blue covers tightly. She was too frail. Her hands rebounded with the force, loosening too easily, too weak. She slid off the bed, and fell. The kneeling man didn't seem to notice her. She knelt in front of him, his head was low on the ground, almost touching. Her hands slightly shivered, and they clasped, firmly, warmly, around his face.

He looked so vulnerable, and no one had ever been vulnerable in front of her. People were always so hard, so mean, so cold. But he was so weak, like a new born pup. And she held him to her, for a split second, wanting to protect this stranger she had never met.

Vlad was so so aware of her sudden presence, and it filled him with a sweet warmth. The pain slowed, it was a prank all along right? He wrapped his arms around her, suddenly relieved, yet unstable, if that was the word. Unstable like he was on rocky ground. Like she was a fake. Just, unstable.

She pushed him back, such that both of them were sitting back on the floor. "Who are you?" Walls had fallen, and she was now apprehensive, guarded. "Noriko!" _She really doesn't remember me?_

She had so many other questions, but only that one came out. He smiled, sheepishly, and he looked so... Acceptable. _Be wary girl, don't be stupid. _"Noriko, i'm yours. Wholly yours." He took her hand, and pressed his lips to it gently.

Vladislaus wasn't going to let this chance slip past. God had given him, her, them, another shot at love. And he could swear as the moon shone and the sun blazed, that he was going to make everything all right again. "And you are my lover, my girlfriend, whatever terms you please, but you _are _my lover."

He was smiling so happily at her, it made his eyes dance and shine, it made him look unbelievably handsome. She blushed inevitably at his words. It sounded impossible, how could she have gotten such a, well, perfect... lover? "We have always lived happily together, and you would always smile at me. We are very in love with each other."

"We have?" She asked, it seemed too amazing.

"We have, and we still are. Don't you remember me? I don't think you would..." After which, he gave her a breakdown on her condition, her selective annesia.

"No, i'm sorry, i don't..." She trailed off. "Then we shall treat this as a first meeting then." She decided. Her face still blushing, she stuck out her hand awkwardly. "Hi, my name is Noriko. Please guide me whenever possible!"

She was so cute, his dryad, so extremely adorable! The blushing, the headlong rushing that was typical of her. "I'm Vladislaus Dracula." He was chuckling inside, resisting the urge to say a hundred and one cliched things, but all were true. He leaned forwards and kissed her on her lips, then carried her and placed her on the bed. He turned to leave.

"Wait, Vladislaus!" Her voice carried a tone of urgency and anxiousness. "Come back soon." She murmured, too shy to say it out loud.

"I will, my love, I will. I only need to settle some small matter." He beamed at her again, then left.

Noriko's fingers flew to her lips, where he had kissed her, a golden coil turning and twisting in her stomach. Warm, and comforting. She slid beneath the dark blue blankets. Thinking, pondering, wondering, and perhaps dreaming. Then she fell asleep.

Vladislaus was leaning on the wall outside her door. _Oh God, whatever happens, please let her be happy. Whatever time i have left, i will spend it on her, don't take her away from me. That i ask of you._

_For Noriko, for her smile, for her to be happy. _

"I will leave."

* * *

Thanks to all who are sticking to this story. Seriously, thank you all.

All hail readers!


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